


I Knew Him Once

by MindnightInParis



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Angst, Bandits (Borderlands) - Freeform, Don't Examine This Too Closely, Drabble, Gen, Honestly Was Just Planning For This To Be A One And Done But Maybe Not, I Can't Believe I Wrote This, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, I may add more chapters, Jack Feels, Jack being Jack, Just typing what's on my mind, Let Me Just Try This Once, Let Me Know What Ya Think, Likely Trash, M/M, My First Work in This Fandom, Post-Canon, Reader was from Pandora, Skags (Borderlands), This Is Why We Can't Have Nice Things, What Have I Done, Why Did I Write This?, Will This Go Anywhere? Who Knows, Young Jack, not a good time
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-04
Updated: 2019-07-04
Packaged: 2020-06-03 21:15:01
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,579
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19472341
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MindnightInParis/pseuds/MindnightInParis
Summary: It's hard to know when to let go.  It's even harder to actually let go of that someone even if you know they're bad for you.  However, if you don't let go of that someone they may just take you down with them.  You can only help those who want to be helped after all.  So, that was your first honest mistake, when you didn't run from Jack after he showed you he was capable of killing.  But then again you were from Pandora.





	I Knew Him Once

A young child, no more than nine, trails slowly through the barren wasteland. Miles of sand seem to surround them from all angles, and with the harsh sun beating down upon them the situation looks hopeless. Now on some planets- maybe one of the Edens- this sight would have been concerning, heartbreaking even. However, on Pandora, where every sane person's biggest concern was surviving until the next day, this occurrence was hardly anything to feel sympathy over. It wasn't a pretty fact, but it was one of the truest notions about this planet.

Indeed it was something everyone learned on the border planet at one point or another. The kid soldiering through their lonesome journey had just learned the harsh fact earlier than most. After all, it wasn't hard to figure out what type of world they were living in after waking up to their parents missing one day. And all the signs of the child ever being accompanied disappeared with them. They hadn't even left their child a pot to piss in. Just left them stranded in the middle of a desert much like this one, hell it was probably the same sandy wasteland as this one if they were being completely honest. Truly it was a dog eats dog world out here, and they never once blamed their parents for it. Even if they had been butthurt over being left behind at first, they were now more than fine with the way things happened. In fact, they preferred the solace they found in their companionless journey through the middle of nowhere. Especially when they knew basically everything on their home planet wanted to kill them. Just another fact they learned on this planet. Really with all the lessons crammed inside their brain, they could be a goddamn philosopher. Well if they even lived long enough to get off this planet, which was unlikely but hey having a goal is better than wandering around aimless. 

Besides what else were they supposed to do with all the time they had in between killing things? Think about how much their life actually sucked? Not an option, while it was a great time waster, it wasn't a such a great morale or survival booster. It makes even the best of people think twice about whether or not they should let some unearthly creature make off with their decapitated head. 

Shoot randomly? Tried that once and it was a major success! Specifically, when you wanted to attract every fucking living thing in the nearby area to their next meal. That and it also wasted a ton of ammunition and even if it wasn't exactly hard to come by... they rather not test whoever was up there more than they needed.

Well, at least, that's what they said to try and maintain a cent of normality in their life. To persuade themselves that there was still some sort of sanity left in them, underneath all their pandorianness. Although their attempt is quickly shattered into itty bitty pieces when they spot another figure not too far away from them. The person who couldn't even be a month older than them was beating a corpse at the time and judging by the size and shape of the thing, it had once been a skag pup. In order, for him to continue his onslaught of melee attacks on the dead animal, he was hunched over, making him appear as if he was a predator looming over its next meal. His short chestnut hair sent in more and more chaos with every sloppy swing he delivers to his newly deemed punching bag. Additionally, blood just kept pouring more and more out with every impact, dousing everything in the vicinity of the source, which just so happened to be where the boy was, meaning by the twentieth time he hit the dang thing he was practically covered in the stuff. 

However, the fact that he just continued to tenderize the sucker, without even noticing them casually approaching him took away from any fear they originally felt. Now the sight in front of them was just... just sad. It was painfully obvious this guy wasn't a cold-blooded killer, but just some kid with some major issues to work out. Issues that weren't any of their concerns so, they chose to ignore it, and instead busied themselves with what was their problem, this kid who was practically ringing the dinner bell as he made the smell of a recent kill stronger the more blood he coaxed out of it.

"Hey, you can stop punching the damn thing. Pretty sure it's long dead with how much blood's coming out of it," they calmly mentioned with a highly unimpressed expression. One of their eyebrows raised and lips pulled into a thin line. The poor guy in front of them finally seemed to snap out of his rage induced stupor enough to finally notice them. Only for him to land straight on his ass out of shock and fear. Before quickly scooting away to put distance on them as he shakily raises his left hand, a gun now held tightly within its possession. However, from his still terrified expression and hesitation to actually shoot them, they could only assume he wasn't expecting them to remain calm under the threat of a bullet lodging itself in their chest. 

They weren't too crazy about this situation, but by now they already had their hand cautiously placed above their own gun, hidden behind their jacket, ready to pull it out at a moments notice. "So, is this how you welcome every person who tries to save your ass or am I just receiving special treatment?" They make sure to leave out the point that they had only warned him to save their own skin. Yeah, he didn't need to know that. 

Instead of actually responding like they wanted him to, he merely lowers his gun as a faint blush blooms on his cheeks. Almost as if he was embarrassed or flustered to have someone actually admit to looking out for him, which to be fair was probably not far off from the truth. From their own experience and the lack of a paternal presence now, they could tell Pandora didn't raise the most nurturing parent figures. Still, they were far from a psychologist or family physician so it really wasn't their place to care about that stuff. 

With a final once over, they finally turn away thinking their brief yet amusing encounter was over. However, the boy seemed to disagree with them because not even a second after they finally resumed their walk to the closet signs of civilization he finally decides to speak up. "Wait! Where are you going?" He shouts trying to sound authoritative and if they didn't know any better they might have actually considered answering him right then and there, but they did know better. So, they easily continued to keep walking away from the scene. They didn't want to waste any more time there, no matter how welcomed the brief interruption had been. They also didn't want to risk the consequences that may ensue if they had misjudged the boy and end up dying for their misjudgment. Although just like them, he didn't pay any attention to their lack of response and instead briefly glances back at the pup before looking back to the first somewhat sane person he had ever met. And without a moment more of hesitation, he puts his revolver away completely and then proceeds to chase after them. 

Shockingly, for both parties, (Y/N) slowed down for him after hearing his footsteps pick up towards their direction, and within moments he was by their side attempting to wipe his bloody hands clean on his ruined capris, but only managed to spread the substance as his clothes were in no better condition. "So, where are we going?" Almost immediately blue and green eyes clash with (E/C) ones for the first time. The moment doesn't last long before the boy has to look away from their intense gaze. Silence ensues after that and their male counterpart for the second time today thinks he won't get an answer from the strange (ravenette/brunette/blonde/ect.). However, after a few more moments he was proven wrong.

"I'm going to the next town over," they plainly state, purposely using 'I'm' instead of 'we'. After all, they weren't buddies and they really didn't need any person to worry about but themselves. Unfortunately, they made the fatal mistake of looking back at him after his footsteps stop, and with just one glance they could see the obvious pout on his lips as he looks in their direction like a kicked puppy. Of course, it shouldn't matter to them either way, he was just trying to earn their pity nothing more, which shouldn't work because they were a cold-blooded killer damnit. They've killed grotesque creatures and other humans for survival. So, they should be able to resist his amateur manipulation attempt. Should being the keyword but every day they keep on learning new things. "But I guess you can come if you want." They don't give the other another glance before taking off again. Not like they had needed to worry if he was going to accept their offer or not as a few seconds later he was already back at their side. 

Little did they know how much both needed this unlikely companionship.

**Author's Note:**

> Like the tags read I did this when I should have been sleeping so please let me know if there are any spelling or grammar errors.


End file.
